Intuitive Surgical dips on slower procedure growth forecast

** Surgical robot maker Intuitive Surgical's ISRG.O shares fall 3.1% to $590.01 premarket, fourth biggest decliner among S&P 500 components before the bell

** ISRG expects the number of procedures using its da Vinci robots to grow between 13-16% in 2025, versus 17% growth in 2024, it said late on Thursday

** "While the procedure guidance ... is a step down from recent years, historically ISRG has started conservatively and beaten them," says Evercore ISI analyst Vijay Kumar in a note titled "deciphering the da Vinci code is an art"

** ISRG has beaten EPS estimates for eight straight quarters, according to LSEG data

** The company also reported an adjusted profit of $2.21 per share in Q4, beating analysts' estimates of $1.79 per share

** ISRG shares have been trading at record highs since it pre-reported Q4 revenue on Jan. 15, touching all-time highs in the past 6 straight sessions; stock up ~64% in the past 12 months